Understanding various personality types will help you lead when “surrounded by idiots”

When you are a leader, you have experienced the feeling of being in a room full of foolheads. Managers and employers usually respond with dissatisfaction but the reality is different. Accepting and integrating in a complex team, and the different personalities of team members are what help leaders to be effective in difficult times. This blog explores the four personality types articulated by Thomas Erikson in his book *Surrounded by Idiots: Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue*, along with practical tactics for leading each of them. It relies on the concepts in the book to do so.

Four personality types can be found, each of which has a color, according to Erikson. These classifications, while limiting in many ways, do a good job outlining the many ways in which people act and speak at work.

The Predominant and Motivated Red.

The Joyful and Outgoing Yellow.

Green: The Peaceful and Harmonious. I

t could be like this: The Critical Thinker and Attention to Detail Blue.

But for us as leaders, let’s look at each of them, and discover how we can work with them.

Characterism: Very strong, purposeful and results-driven.

Personality traits: They become natural aggressors and appreciate challenges.

People who have red personalities seem to be grumpy or irritated when other people are not moving with them.

Barriers to Leadership: Reds tend to feel like a one-party deal so they tend to try to dominate the discussion and ignore alternative people. They make snap judgments but may have to see the forest for the trees or future impacts.

Identifying Red personality’s drive and aspiration is the initial level on which successful leadership can place. They are not afraid of a good challenge and appreciate being given direct communication. Don’t speak too much small talking and pay close attention to your actions. Let them play with some freedom, but remember that getting the things done well is more important than rushing them through.

Feedback has to be direct yet fair. But the Reds are a fan of the strong, competent and effective leaders. If you’re too soft or can’t get your mind right, they can begin to dislike you. Embrace competition in their work as they set up targets and give them the room to follow them; you will empower them to be competitive. But you have to stress the importance of teamwork and great listening methods as well.

The Extroverted and Sociable Yellow.

Characteristics: Extremely social, imaginative, and extroverted.

Characteristics: The people in Yellow are the team’s lifeblood, always willing to cheer up the mob.

They can get lost on technicalities and following through, but they’re pros at brainstorming and creativity.

Leaders Face Struggles: Yellows get stuck and get discouraged. So maybe they come across selfish or attention-hungry at best, but their need for applause and acknowledgement is a very real one. A healthy workplace and a lot of encouragement is what Yellows need. When recognized and valued for what they do, they put in their all. As a leader you get to harness their creativity by allowing their ideas to be allowed expression, while at the time giving them discipline to stay the course.

Break large jobs down into smaller, achievable pieces to help keep Yellows motivated. Offering them some leeway in the job it is vital for their productivity, particularly when the job is long-term or boring. A positive feedback loop really works with Yellows as long as it’s reinforced positively, so, for a beginning to get them to succeed, it has to start from their strengths, and then continue by discussing how they can do better.

I remind Yellows hard work pays off because they’re naturally extroverts. Mixing excitement with some discipline is the basis of deadlines and tasks; just remind them.

Green: The Temperate and Harmonious Properties. Profile: Consistent, reliable, and observant listeners.

Personality traits: Greens do everything they can to keep the peace

They are hard working workers who flourish in consistent environments. But some Greens might not be open for change, they might just need assistance in communicating. Even when they need to stand up for themselves, they may occasionally be too meek.

To lead the Greens, one needs a level head and patience. Meetings aren’t their cup, so you have to make sure they feel they can speak up. You can encourage them to share their thoughts and opinions by speaking to them using open-ended questions in a non-confrontational yet non-threatening manner and a supportive manner.

Greens may fail to resolve issues because they like to avoid confrontation so many problems get swept under the rug and left some unresolved. As a leader, listen with curiosity to their concerns and provide reassurance as a guide to the latter. Drive people out of their comfort zone with small changes and show people that change does not necessarily lead to destruction. Be careful when attacking them. Be careful not to take a very personal stance and frame your comments more positively and encouragingly.

Identification of where to enhance them without over-assist and acknowledge what they did well while being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each. These are, the Blue Aspect: Analytical and Detail-Oriented.

Features: Reasonable, organized, and extremely meticulous.

Personality traits: While they do a good job the Blues can get lost in little details.

Structured settings with clear norms and expectations appeal to them.

Challenges the leaders face: If what the Blues see as unreasonable or poorly organised, they’re going to be very critical of themselves AND of others.

Their need to see that all their options are considered before taking action could make them very much unsuited to situations where quick decisions are needed. The Blues may be at home best in orderly, rational settings. The leader needs to set the standards and clear direction that a team must obey. Providing ample time to process and go along with specific directions allows them to make better decisions.

And when you work with Blues, you should ask only for immediate results with a concrete reason to believe in it. They’re curious about the “why” of some things, so have their hand up to explain. They have a keen eye for detail that others don’t see, so it is essential that you encourage them to share their observations.

Make good criticism by sticking to hard evidence. Logic-based arguments are what Blues usually cares about. They tend to resist change, but by showing them a solid example of the facts you can confirm that you are right, they can be calmed.

As a leader, you must be attentive and attentive to the distinct characteristics of your team members. It is this ignorance of other people’s information processing and how they engage with each other that has grown into many people feeling “surrounded by idiots.” This ignorance breeds insecurity about the decisions you make, even when in a vulnerable position. Acknowledging each person’s unique characteristics and challenges could set the stage for a more peaceful and productive work place.

Red personalities’ fiery determination will carry team initiatives along; whereas Yellow personalities’ creative energy and contagious excitement will permeate the group. The Greens are responsible for the steadiness and dependability of the team.

On the other hand, the Blues must ensure that things are done so accurately and cautiously. A person who is sensitive to and understanding of the traits of his team members is capable of channeling their strengths, no matter what they happen to type.

Every person is different and nobody is an “idiot.” For each person, as a leader, you, not only need to appreciate difference, you also need to modulate your style of leading and generate inclusive atmosphere in which every member can thrive.